Improvement in vaults, safes



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

ALEXANDER L. sTIMsON, OE OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

rMPRovEM'ET |1N vAUL'rs, sAFEs, &.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 156,261, dated October 27, 1874 application iledl July 18, 1874. y y

other suitable chemical, and. thereby generate.

a gas,'the object beingto render the vaultand its contentsmore secure against burglars and lire, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of a vaulthaving my improved armor; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a portion of the inner casing, which lforms the acid-chamber in my improved vault.

The object of my invention is toseoure more perfect protection of bank vaults and safes against burglars; and it consists primarily in providing the walls, Iloors, and ceilings of the same with suitable chambers G or recesses, in which are placed glass tubes or other suitable receptacles B,fpartiallyfiilled with sulphuric y acid, as shown in Fig. 1.

These tubes or receptacles arepacked in bicarbonate of soda, chalk, marble-dust, or similar substance, which serves to prevent them from moving` about, and which, when acted upon bythe acid, willV produce carbonicacid gas, the tubes being placed so near to each other as to render it impossible for a burglar to make a hole of sufficient size to admit y his body without demolishing several of the acid-tubes, and thus allowing the acid to escape, and, coming into contact with the bi` carbonate of soda or similar material, to produce carbonio-acid gas, which will kill the burglar, or at least render him unable to do any damage.

In the drawing I'have shown my improve- Y ment as applied to a vault such as are now in use, except that I dispense with the costly steel lining now used.

A represents the ordinary wall of masonry, inside of which I place the acid-chamber C,

, lextending over the iioor, ceiling, andl all the sides, except that on which the doors are placed. This chamber C may be made of metal, formed in sections, as shown in Fig. 2, and bolted or otherwise fastened together; or vit may be made of masonry, concrete, plasterof-paris, or any other suitable material( The top may be inclined like an ordinary shed-roof, or `it may be arched; When inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, the tubes are laid lengthwise of the incline. At the lower end of the inclined roof is a gutter, c, into Whichtheacid runs when the tubes B are broken, and from here it passes down through openings-in the acid-chamber, and out`through holes a at the lower end of the same into the interior of the vault, and runs along a gutter, b, in the floor of the same. It' it is desired to have the gas `form slowly, but for a long time, in order to keep the vault lilled long enough to overcome the burglar, this gutter b may be filled ywith marble-dust or chalk, which arenotvso readily acted upon by the acid as the bicarbonate 'of soda; but, as the carbonio-acid vgas is heavier `than the air, it will pass down through the casing C, and through the openings a, into the interior of the vault.

As the carbonio-acidv gas has no effect upon written matter, the papers contained in the vault cannot be injured by it, and hence there can be no objection to its use on this ground.

In providing the iioor with my improved armor, I mount two rows of bottles or tubes in a frame, one rovvr at each end, as shown in Fig. 1, they being placed with their Stoppers toward each other, and each stopper having attached to it a strong wire, rod, or cord. These wires or cords are securely fastened to l the bricks or stones forming the door on which the vault is built, andare so arranged that when the burglar, in attempting to enter through theoor, pulls at the stones or bricks, unwittingly draws out the Stoppers of the bottles or tubes. The tubes or bottles inthe lioor'are placed between the iloor ofthe vault and the -iloor ou which the vault rests, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be packed in bicarbonate of soda o'r similar material, or not, as desired. When not packed in the bicarbonate of soda, the intention is to have the acid run out through the opening made by the burglar onto him, which will cause him to suspend operations.

It being impracticable to place the acid-receptacles in the doorlof the safe or vault, on account of their being in the way when it is necessary to change the combination on the locks, or to oil the bolts of the same, besides making the doors too heavy, I hinge a sepa-- rate set of doors, provided with the acid-chambers, inside of the doors of the vault or safe proper.

By this means I am enabled to protect the safe or vault entirely against burglars; but, as the acid expands when heated, itis necessary to provide against damage by accidental discharge of the acid-receptacles.

This may be done in a varietyI of ways, the simplest of which is to fill the receptacle only partially `full of acid; and as an additional safeguard against accident from this source I place the acid-receptacles each inside of a larger casin g, leaving space vbetween them. L

There can ,be no danger of 'accident to the L custodian, as when the gas has been formed l its odor will b e sucient to warn him of danger, and and he will then give the gas an op-Y portunity to escape through' open doors and windows.

The acid-receptacles may be made of any form or material, but I prefer the use of glass tubes, as being best suited to the purpose.

While the primary idea of my invention is I to afford protection against burglars, it will also afford protection to the contents of the' vault against fire; as, in case of the burning,

. of the building, there will be a generation of safes, to be placed Within vaults, and whereV this is done, it is obvious that my invention may be applied to the Walls of the safe itself', so that Whenever an attempt is made by drilling, or otherwise, to break into' the safe, the acid-tubes will be fractured, and the gas formed thereby will flow out into the vault, thereby expelling the burglars.

It is often customary, in large buildings intended for office use, to build a series of vaults,

one over another, thus furnishing a vault for several, or all of' the stories of the building;

V-dovvn' through any number of stories or vaults, even though the side walls be not disturbed,

as the making of a hole through the top of sufficient size for a burglar to enter Will release sufficient acid to generateenough gas to fill the vault, and this will be repeated as each iloor or ceilingis penetrated; and even if the gas-producing elements are stored only'in the top, and not in the floor of each separate vault,

the gas will pass down into the vault orcornpartment belovvas soon as an openingis made;

though I prefer in all cases to have the several rooms or compartments, however arranged or located, fully protected by placing the gasgenerating elements on all sides, and above and beloW,'so that an entrance cannot be effected by any means Without liberating the acid and generating the gas.

I am aware that a patent has been granted for the employment in safes of `highly conipressed or liquefied poisonous gases; but such a plan is not practicable, for the reason that the great pressure exerted by the' poisonous gases will always tend to create -leaks in the vessels containing them, thereby endangering the lives of persons occupying the roorn'where the s ame is used, and causing the gases to gradually escape, and thereby depriving the safe ofthe means intended for its protection.

I do not claim the use of compressed or liquelied gases, but

What I do claim isl 1. A vault, having located withinits walls, tubes, or vessels, containing acids, together withalkalies or other suitable substances for the generation of gases, said substances being so arranged as to remain' inert until disturbed, but so as to be brought in contact by any breaking or penetration of the Walls of saidvault, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A vault, having located Within its Walls a series of tubes or vessels containing acids, and provided with openings and conduits for conveying said acids to the alkalies or other suitable chemicals located at other points within the walls, substantially as herein set forth.

ALEX. L.'STIMS()N.

Witnesses: CHARLEsS. SWEET,

WILLIAM H. MOORE. 

